Maintenance scheduled for Columbia ‘no-mow zones’ after overgrowth from July rain
COLUMBIA, Mo (KMIZ)
The City of Columbia Public Works has entered into an agreement with a contractor to perform maintenance on the "no-mow zones" around the city after areas started overgrowing from rain this month.
The no-mow zones, or Roadside Pollinator Program, was initiated to help promote biodiversity in Columbia and was strategically placed based on habitat potential, according to Columbia Public Health's Engineer Manager Richard Stone.
Maintenance is set to start this week and is expected to last for the next two-to-three weeks, according to Stone.
Stone said the zones that need the most work are Scott Boulevard and Range Line Street, which is where maintenance will start and then go to any other remaining areas that need work.
"Over the next couple of weeks, we're going to be doing some trimming of some of the bushy and woody elements that are in those areas," Stone said.
Stone said little work was done on the zones last year, and that was partially due to the potential cost of consistently maintaining all pollination zones. The estimated cost last year was $85,000.
“Last year we did not do very much maintenance on those areas. We just barely managed them," Stone said. "Some of those issues are coming back, where we're going to need to do some more maintenance, more aggressive maintenance."
Right now, Stone and his team are trying to find a balance to keep the zones clear and not create a traffic hazard, while also finding an alternative to lower maintenance costs.
“We're trying to find that balance of how much to spend on maintenance of these vs. long-term, you know, where the break-even is going to be on spending maintenance on maintaining them," Stone said.
Some residents along Scott Boulevard spoke briefly with ABC 17 News about their concerns on the overgrowth.
Andrea Smith, a resident in southwest Columbia, said she likes the environmental benefits of the pollination zones, but wishes they would be trimmed down. Smith said sometimes it is hard to see emergency personnel when driving around the "no mow zones."
Residents were not officially informed of the upcoming maintenance that will occur in these zones, but Public Works spokesman John Ogan said he plans on sharing updates on the department's social media.
